Should you physically remove secondary NVMe drives when performing a clean Windows install?

[Maxiaid]

I recently upgraded the CPU in my personal system. It works just fine, but wanting to follow "best practice" I have decided to perform a clean reinstall of Windows 11 just to make sure all drivers are properly replaced and I get the most performance out of it. 24H2 also broke a bunch of settings, so I figured now was the time. However, I have seen yet another "best practice" type of advice being thrown around which completely removes my desire to deal with all this: "it's important to make sure you physically remove all other drives but the one you want Windows to boot from before performing a clean install".

This would be a massive hassle for me. I also don't want to put unnecessary wear on the 12VHPWR connector by repeatedly removing and reinstalling the GPU for no good reason.

Thing is I only have 2 NVMe drives, and the secondary one is already fully partitioned with one partition and no unallocated space. My assumption is that Windows wouldn't be able to add anything to that drive if the only unallocated space available for the installation was in the main one, but I haven't seen this discussed anywhere. Target drive is also M.2_1 (Disk 0) and closest to CPU.

Is this really important, or just something tutorials include to be idiot-proof?

If the root problem is partitions being allocated to several drives, then actual best practice would be to check and make sure all of them got installed where they're supposed to, not necessarily having to physically remove everything unless you had a stubborn system that gave you trouble for whatever reason. But what do I know, I'm completely illiterate when it comes to the registry, if it includes inherently problematic references to several drives or what a "boot sector" even is. For what I've read I'd assume it's part of the EFI partition, so you'd just have to check it is where it's supposed to. I'd also be nuking the secondary drive afterwards for good measure to see if it boots just fine.

Could you guys share your experiences and knowledge on the topic? As always, thanks in advance.


EDIT: I'll rephrase the main questions I have in two bullet points.

1. If only 2 NVMe M.2 drives are present –intended for boot and secondary–, you then consciously clear all partitions in the drive intended for boot and leave the secondary drive with all its space allocated beforehand (no unallocated space, only one large partition, media files, no OS files), can Windows possibly install anything onto it (create new partitions or allocate the boot loader onto it)... or is it fail-safe in this regard?
2. Is this only a dislocated partition issue? In the sense that, if after finishing the process you check your disk manager and all partitions are in the same (intended) drive, you're 100% good to go and trouble-free.

Since asked for, I'll quote references to how widespread this recommendation is. They are of no particular relevance.
e.g. Video 1 (1:21), Video 2 (7:00), Video 3 (1:30)... and the list goes on.

 

[Kwadratowicz]

I always unplug all drives from pc when installing windows, it is just to make sure that windows is not installing something on other drives, cause searching the topic I found that on reddit or toms hardware there are ppl who used to install windows when having secondary drive in pc and when they disconected secondary drive the windows could not startup.

[SOLVED] - I think I have windows installed on multiple drives

I have a 500gb nvme ssd and a 2tb hard drive, windows is installed on the ssd not on the 2tb hard drive. I recently replaced the 2tb hard drive with another one and the system didn't boot. It only boots when I put back the original 2tb hard drive. that makes me think that there are some windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/16equso

 

[AsRock]

Normally i would disconnect them to be sure, how ever with this system ( AM5 ) i just turned the other drives off in the bios.

 

[GerKNG]

nope.
i installed windows on hundreds of machines and i never removed a drive before installing it and never had a problem.
select the correct SSD and install it as usual

 

[blinnbanir]

I have several Drives and noticed some strange behavior in Windows. Upgrading from W10 to W11 can be broken if you have more than one drive. There is even an article describing it if you do a Google Search. What you have to do is go into Diskpart and convert any Dynamic disk to Basic and it will let you install Windows. The other thing that I have seen is your new copy of Windows asking for the Bitlocker key for your drive. Windows is certainly not what it used to be.

 

[neatfeatguy]

I've had issues with Windows not wanting to install at all or cause some kind of problem such as the install hanging because I've had more than 1 drive connected. This was only with Windows 10. Never had the problem with 7 or earlier versions and I haven't tried 11 yet.

Just some food for thought.

 

[Ramo1203]

I have had issues in the past where Windows would install some partitions like the recovery partition on a secondary drive for some reason. My solution was to disconnect the drives.

However I did a fresh install recently and didn't have that issue. So I guess it depends.

 

[PLAfiller]

Usually I don't for Nvme as sometimes they are hard to reach after system assembly.

Now if there is an issue, then I'd leave only one until Windows is installed properly.

 

[mclaren85]

I have 2 nvmes and 2 HDDs and I have never ever removed any of drives before formatting the system. Also, for the sake of simplicity, you could use acronis instead of complete format.

 

[Assimilator]

Never had a problem in this regard, and I rather suspect that users who do are running with weird setups like dual-booting or RAID.

I always unplug all drives from pc when installing windows, it is just to make sure that windows is not installing something on other drives, cause searching the topic I found that on reddit or toms hardware there are ppl who used to install windows when having secondary drive in pc and when they disconected secondary drive the windows could not startup.

[SOLVED] - I think I have windows installed on multiple drives

I have a 500gb nvme ssd and a 2tb hard drive, windows is installed on the ssd not on the 2tb hard drive. I recently replaced the 2tb hard drive with another one and the system didn't boot. It only boots when I put back the original 2tb hard drive. that makes me think that there are some windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/16equso

That reddit thread is referring to a setup in which RAID is involved, which as indicated above is irrelevant for most cases,

 

[Bill_Bright]

I have seen yet another "best practice" type of advice being thrown around which completely removes my desire to deal with all this: "it's important to make sure you physically remove all other drives but the one you want Windows to boot from before performing a clean install".

In the future, if you ever reference something you have seen, it is best to include a link to it so we can reference it too and see the context for which the suggestion came.

I suppose if taking even the most extreme cases of rare exceptions, then yes, it is "best practice" to "disconnect" all devices not needed for the new install. But note I said "disconnect". I did not say "remove".

So if you want, you could disconnect either the data or the power cable from the extra drives and that will serve the purpose. Start first by unplugging power from the wall, then touch bare metal of the case interior to discharge any static in your body, then reach in and disconnect the most accessible cable. To me, that might be the PSU of side of a modular power cable - if a modular PSU.

I would NOT, however "physically remove" such devices. That is not just silly advice, it is misguided. Any time you stick your hands inside a computer case you risk knocking a cable loose or zapping a sensitive device with ESD. Any time you physically handle a drive you risk dropping it or otherwise damaging it, or something else.

My personal practice is I do NOT disconnect extra drives. I do, however, pay attention to make sure I do not select the wrong drive during installation.

I note in many cases, if the Windows install program sees a previous version of Windows installed, it will try to install the new installation on a secondary drive (or partition). Preventing this might be the intent of the suggestion but again, without the context of the source, we don't know.

 

[bonehead123]

In the past few years of building/upgrading multiple rigs using various CPU's/mobo's ect, I've had these issues on some of them, notta on others, all with nvme drives and/or a combo of nvme & SATA drives, all with W7, 8, & 10Pro (I haven't tried W11 yet), so it would seem that YMMV

 

[blinnbanir]

Never had a problem in this regard, and I rather suspect that users who do are running with weird setups like dual-booting or RAID.


That reddit thread is referring to a setup in which RAID is involved, which as indicated above is irrelevant for most cases,

For me the Install hung because the drive was Dynamic. That is a W11 hang if upgrading from W10. It does not have to be a RAID array.

 

[Mr. Perfect]

Shut the drives off in BIOS if you want, that's a decent middle ground of protecting the drive and not having to physically rip things apart.

That said, I don't think I've ever bothered reinstalling Windows for a CPU upgrade either. What upgrade are you doing to the CPU?

 

[Maxiaid]

Normally i would disconnect them to be sure, how ever with this system ( AM5 ) i just turned the other drives off in the bios.

How did you achieve this? I guess it depends on the motherboard manufacturer. I am on AM5 as well, but it's an MSI B650 board.

nope.
i installed windows on hundreds of machines and i never removed a drive before installing it and never had a problem.
select the correct SSD and install it as usual

Very comforting confirmation bias, thank you.

I have several Drives and noticed some strange behavior in Windows. Upgrading from W10 to W11 can be broken if you have more than one drive. There is even an article describing it if you do a Google Search. What you have to do is go into Diskpart and convert any Dynamic disk to Basic and it will let you install Windows. The other thing that I have seen is your new copy of Windows asking for the Bitlocker key for your drive. Windows is certainly not what it used to be.

For me the Install hung because the drive was Dynamic. That is a W11 hang if upgrading from W10. It does not have to be a RAID array.

Can you guys elaborate on the whole dynamic disk thing? First time I read about it. Should it be dynamic or basic then in order to avoid problems?

In the future, if you ever reference something you have seen, it is best to include a link to it so we can reference it too and see the context for which the suggestion came.

I could quote many references and none of particular relevance. If you go over any beginner level tutorial on installing Windows you'll see this is quite a widespread recommendation. e.g. Video 1 (1:21), Video 2 (7:00), Video 3 (1:30)... and the list goes on.

I suspect this is very generic and, like I said, idiot-proof level of advice... but I'm seeing many of you report suffering these issues in the past, so it doesn't seem so dumb after all.

I have had issues in the past where Windows would install some partitions like the recovery partition on a secondary drive for some reason. My solution was to disconnect the drives.

However I did a fresh install recently and didn't have that issue. So I guess it depends.

That makes the biggest part of my question. Is this only a dislocated partition issue? Because that can easily be checked in Disk Manager. If that happens that's OK, I'll address the issue when it presents. What I really want to know is if there is any other chance of something going wrong in a more insidious way that could damage the experience or cause problems down the line and can't be immediately detected.

Shut the drives off in BIOS if you want, that's a decent middle ground of protecting the drive and not having to physically rip things apart.

I've tried to look into that option and what I've read is it usually can't be done to NVMe drives unless very high end motherboard, which I guess a B650 isn't. I can't access my computer at the moment so I can't check by myself. I'm not well versed in messing around with BIOS settings either. Where is that option usually listed? If possible for a MSI BIOS specifically (thank you).

That said, I don't think I've ever bothered reinstalling Windows for a CPU upgrade either. What upgrade are you doing to the CPU?

Chipset drivers, mainly. I went from 7800X3D to 9800X3D so no core parking or scheduling involved. I know I need not do it, but then again, I wanted to do a fresh install anyway.

 

[R0H1T]

I always unplug all drives from pc when installing windows, it is just to make sure that windows is not installing something on other drives, cause searching the topic I found that on reddit or toms hardware there are ppl who used to install windows when having secondary drive in pc and when they disconected secondary drive the windows could not startup.

[SOLVED] - I think I have windows installed on multiple drives

I have a 500gb nvme ssd and a 2tb hard drive, windows is installed on the ssd not on the 2tb hard drive. I recently replaced the 2tb hard drive with another one and the system didn't boot. It only boots when I put back the original 2tb hard drive. that makes me think that there are some windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/16equso

There's multiple fixes for this. New Windows installs are pretty much seamless these days, though ideally you should disconnect the second drive.

 

[blinnbanir]

What is Dynamic vs Basic? When you add a drive to Windows through Disk Management it gives you a choice to create it as GPT or Windows Boot Device, That is basic vs dynamic. Where it comes to RAID is you cannot create a RAID array in Windows that is not Dynamic. You can do it in the BIOS but not Windows.

 

[AsRock]

How did you achieve this? I guess it depends on the motherboard manufacturer. I am on AM5 as well, but it's an MSI B650 board.



Very comforting confirmation bias, thank you.




Can you guys elaborate on the whole dynamic disk thing? First time I read about it. Should it be dynamic or basic then in order to avoid problems?



I could quote many references and none of particular relevance. If you go over any beginner level tutorial on installing Windows you'll see this is quite a widespread recommendation. e.g. Video 1 (1:21), Video 2 (7:00), Video 3 (1:30)... and the list goes on.

I suspect this is very generic and, like I said, idiot-proof level of advice... but I'm seeing many of you report suffering these issues in the past, so it doesn't seem so dumb after all.



That makes the biggest part of my question. Is this only a dislocated partition issue? Because that can easily be checked in Disk Manager. If that happens that's OK, I'll address the issue when it presents. What I really want to know is if there is any other chance of something going wrong in a more insidious way that could damage the experience or cause problems down the line and can't be immediately detected.



I've tried to look into that option and what I've read is it usually can't be done to NVMe drives unless very high end motherboard, which I guess a B650 isn't. I can't access my computer at the moment so I can't check by myself. I'm not well versed in messing around with BIOS settings either. Where is that option usually listed? If possible for a MSI BIOS specifically (thank you).



Chipset drivers, mainly. I went from 7800X3D to 9800X3D so no core parking or scheduling involved. I know I need not do it, but then again, I wanted to do a fresh install anyway.

Apparently ASUS has removed the option on my board now, only available on the SATA devices how ever the drive closest to the CPU is the 1st on my board. So go by the labeling of the drives should do the trick and would be interested to know if it's not the case on all other newer systems.

I installed my OS on the one closest to the CPU and should be that one when the time comes for me at least. You could always try it out and see if it works out that way.

How ever when the time comes i will be disabling the SATA drives just in case HAHA.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Apparently ASUS has removed the option on my board now, only available on the SATA devices how ever the drive closest to the CPU is the 1st on my board. So go by the labeling of the drives should do the trick and would be interested to know if it's not the case on all other newer systems.

I installed my OS on the one closest to the CPU and should be that one when the time comes for me at least. You could always try it out and see if it works out that way.

How ever when the time comes i will be disabling the SATA drives just in case HAHA.

I think on my X570 I can disable SATA ports but it would be great if NVMe's could be enabled/disabled in UEFI as a standard feature. Dual boot without sharing or drive trays would be so much easier then.

 

[SL2]

It happended to me multiple times on different computers. No RAID, no dual boot. Just because you've never experienced it doesn't mean it can't be true.

However, it was a looong time ago, NT 5 era. I don't remember if it ever happened with newer versions. All I know is that I got careful and disconnected other drives, so I never really tried it out again.
BIOS disable is enough for me.

Hopefullly a problem of the past.

 

[Maxiaid]

It happended to me multiple times on different computers. No RAID, no dual boot. Just because you've never experienced it doesn't mean it can't be true.

However, it was a looong time ago, NT 5 era. I don't remember if it ever happened with newer versions. All I know is that I got careful and disconnected other drives, so I never really tried it out again.
BIOS disable is enough for me.

Hopefullly a problem of the past.

Mate, that was about 25 years ago.

---

Alright, so based on your collective feedback, the posts you linked, the wording on the videos I originally heard this from and especially this thread on the Windows Eleven Forum, these are the conclusions I've come to:

• Yes, it is a dislocated partition issue. If partitions stay together within the OS drive, there's no issue to be talked about. The recommendation also comes from the very dull idea that you might be silly enough to delete all your data without backing it up first.
• It's a good idea to manage boot priority within BIOS so that the intended boot drive is set to #1.
• Preferably have your intended boot drive at the Disk 0 position (M.2_1, usually upmost slot, closest to CPU).
• [Most important] Have no EFI partition present anywhere else so that the installation process can create a new one where it's supposed to. Otherwise, OS will use/share the existing one (dual boot setup or residual partition from previous installation) for the boot loader.
• RAID array likely increases the chances of it happening.

 

[Chrispy_]

I think once ever, maybe twice there was an occasion where Windows installer (probably Vista or 7) created a partition on a different drive to the one I selected during installation.

I did a quick web search and realised that the partition could be deleted.

I've done triple-digit manual Windows installs since then, and stopped caring about the issue because as of Windows 8 I've never experienced that issue. I'm going to assume it was just a bug that slipped past the stuffed parrot that Microsoft used for QC back in those days.

 

[Ruru]

I think once ever, maybe twice there was an occasion where Windows installer (probably Vista or 7) created a partition on a different drive to the one I selected during installation.

I did a quick web search and realised that the partition could be deleted.

I've done triple-digit manual Windows installs since then, and stopped caring about the issue because as of Windows 8 I've never experienced that issue. I'm going to assume it was just a bug that slipped past the stuffed parrot that Microsoft used for QC back in those days.

Same here. I can't even remember when was the last time I unplugged/removed the other drives when reinstalling Win10/11.

 

[A Computer Guy]

It did happen to me with an early version of Windows 10, not sure why. I was removing a secondary drive to upgrade it and whoopsie I couldn't boot! I think in that case I had a mix of NVMe and SATA drives when I originally installed it, no RAID anything. I ended up reformatting the PC anyway so it didn't matter. When building new systems I only have one drive installed and minimal devices connected as a rule when installing Windows. I broke my rule that time and paid the price.

 

[LabRat 891]

Mate, that was about 25 years ago.

---

Alright, so based on your collective feedback, the posts you linked, the wording on the videos I originally heard this from and especially this thread on the Windows Eleven Forum, these are the conclusions I've come to:

• Yes, it is a dislocated partition issue. If partitions stay together within the OS drive, there's no issue to be talked about. The recommendation also comes from the very dull idea that you might be silly enough to delete all your data without backing it up first.
• It's a good idea to manage boot priority within BIOS so that the intended boot drive is set to #1.
• Preferably have your intended boot drive at the Disk 0 position (M.2_1, usually upmost slot, closest to CPU).
• [Most important] Have no EFI partition present anywhere else so that the installation process can create a new one where it's supposed to. Otherwise, OS will use/share the existing one (dual boot setup or residual partition from previous installation) for the boot loader.
• RAID array likely increases the chances of it happening.

Great detailed rundown.

But... there's a dead simple solution, that satisfies their nebulous concern(s): Backup externally, wipe all drives.

Backup User Files and Game Install(s/ers), externally
Boot to Windows Installation Media
Shift+F10
DISKPART - LIST DISK - SELECT DISK 0(/1/2/etc.) - CLEAN - CONVERT GPT
EXIT - EXIT
continue with install - @ drive selection, select the empty drive you want Windows on - click Install/next.

Drives that are 'CLEAN' appear to Windows like they were fresh out of the box new. If they are not initialized, Windows Installer will not put files onto them, nor format them.
So, if all drives are CLEANed, only the drive you point the Windows Installer @, will get formatted and files installed to it.

edit:
The "CLEAN" Diskpart command is almost 0-wear to a NAND SSD. AFAIK, no 'worse' than a "quick format"
Do not "CLEAN ALL" an SSD unless you want an entire drivewrite of wear applied.